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Heather Graham Confirmed for The Hangover Part III

Despite the vast majority of the principle cast returning for The Hangover: Part II, one of the notable exceptions was Heather Graham, who played Jade, the likable stripper with a heart-of-gold that ended up marrying Stu (Ed Helms) during his drunken escapades in the opening installment.

The first film left audiences believing a romantic future could be in store for the two, after Stu vowed to return to Las Vegas to take Jade out to dinner. Either that dinner never happened, or things went horribly wrong, as Stu ended up marrying Lauren (Jamie Chung) in the sequel.

Despite Stu’s current relationship status, Jade will be back for the threequel, as Variety has the scoop that Heather Graham has signed on to reprise her role for The Hangover: Part III.

In addition to marrying Stu in the first film, Jade also served as the mother of the baby the guys found in their hotel room (his name was Tyler, even though Alan (Zack Galifianakis) preferred Carlos), and eventually helped the trio make away with the $80,000 Alan won at the blackjack table, which they needed to bribe Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) with in order to get Doug back (or so they thought).

Plot details on the film haven’t been confirmed, and there’s no official word on what Jade’s role will be in the final installment, but speculation will of course center around her relationship with Stu. It’s worth noting that director Todd Phillips, who’s overseen all three films, has said that Part III will change up the formula of Parts 1 2, so the chances of a drunken hookup that Stu won’t remember the next morning are pretty slim. Add the fact that Stu is now married (assuming that’s still the case) and it becomes even more unlikely that a romantic connection between them will serve as the basis of Jade’s involvement in the movie – unless that wild flame is meant to be rekindled, of course.

What seems more plausible, though, is Jade playing more of a minor, but still important role. Directors/writers/producers often hint that they want to “bring things full circle” when wrapping up a trilogy, so it’s entirely possible that Jade’s primary job will be to once again step in to help save the day when the guys are in need of a hand, which will then better connect her ties to the first film. There’s speculation that The Hangover: Part III will be set in multiple locations, including a return to Vegas, which seems the most likely of places for Jade to pop up again.

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